STORY 1 :Reena & Vishal Jul 05 2023

Vichal first met Reena at a wedding where his friend's sister was getting married. He was with a group of five friends, and they noticed a girl sitting on her own. She caught their eyes, and each of the boys went to ask her for a dance, but she turned all of them down.

Vichal finally mustered the courage to approach her. Instead of directly asking her to dance with him, he asked her why she was not dancing, and they chatted. Reena found his approach different from that of his friends. She appreciated that he did not force anything on her. Eventually, instead of asking her to dance, he asked her for permission to dance with her and she accepted.

Reena had come to the wedding of her aunt's sister and was not comfortable dancing with someone she didn't know. She appreciated the respect that Vichal showed her. This made him stand apart from all the others. In fact, she felt protected having someone she could trust. She danced with Vichal and felt really safe with him.

During the party, they decided to share their respective phone numbers. In those days, neither of them had a mobile phone, and they had to use the fixed line at home. Vichal did not expect Reena to call him, but she did, after a long wait of two months.

They decided to meet for the first time at Jardin des Pamplemousses. For them both, it turned out to be a moment of sharing. They could talk freely about everything that was going on in their respective lives. Reena felt right away that Vichal was the one for her. She came from a poor family and felt valued being accepted by Vichal. This element of trust and respect remained at the forefront as their relationship developed.

The big issue arose when they decided to make their relationship official. Their parents disapproved of their relationship and did not give them their approval to get married. There was no way to convince the parents to change their minds. Vichal was very young at that time and had tremendous respect for his parents and could not bring himself to disappoint them. As for Reena, she had grown up under the care of her grandparents and felt she owed everything to them. The two lovers met and discussed the issue between them and realized it would be impossible for them to be happy by going against their parents' wishes. They further did not want to be the cause of a situation that would lead to feuds between their two families. They, therefore, agreed to put an end to their relationship.

The decision to break up was a huge sacrifice for them both because they had grown to love each other, but they accepted it. They both chose to stay true to their words and never called or tried to contact each other, even though they were hurting inside. It was the ultimate test of the trust they had in each other.

Seven long and agonizing years went by as Vichal and Reena silently suffered in the absence of each other.
One day, Vichal entered a shop to buy something to eat and when he reached the counter, he found himself face to face with Reena. Of all the counters in the store, he had unknowingly chosen the line that led to where Reena worked. Both were stunned to see each other again after so many years. Reena processed Vichal's purchase, and after he left, she went to the side and broke into tears, unable to hold back the feelings. For Vichal too, it was an intense moment. He didn't know Reena worked there and never expected to see her again. Yet, he often thought about her and wondered whether she was already married.

After that day, Vichal came Reena's workplace often just to see her. The two of them started talking again. Vichal mustered the courage to ask her if she was married and she said: "I didn't find another one like you." She asked him the same question and he replied: "I also couldn't find anyone like you."

During all those years, Reena did not attend any weddings and limited her outings to avoid meeting Vichal again. She now realized that she had never felt anything for anyone the way she felt for him. In fact, the day they met again after so many years, she felt that 'Bondié inn voy li la'.

In conversation with Vichal, Reena learned that he was going through a tough time as his mother was seriously ill at the hospital. She felt that it was her duty to go and visit her. It was in the course of that visit that, for the first time, Vichal's mother really got to know the girl that her son loved. A relationship developed between the two women, and Reena went to visit her a few more times. One day, Vichal's mother told Reena: "Mo garson pa finn maryé mem, to gett li kan mo nepli la." That was her way of accepting that Reena was the one for Vichal and that she should not stand in their way. The doctor had already told her that she did not have much time left, and she wanted to see her son get married. For both Reena and Vichal, it was a moment of liberation, proving that only time can heal what reason cannot.

After Vichal's mother gave him her approval, he talked to his father, who also agreed to his son's marriage to Reena.
The love story that started at a wedding unfortunately reached its conclusion with a funeral. Vichal's mother passed away only two months after she finally got to know and truly appreciate her future daughter-in-law. Reena is grateful to her for finally accepting her into the family. Together with Vichal, she decided to have their civil marriage on the date of his mother's birthday so they will always remember her.

Reena and Vichal are finally looking forward to their life together. Despite the long break in their relationship, they have kept the teenage love they had when they first met. Vichal never argues with Reena over anything, and he does not use harsh words with her ever. One day, Reena forgot to put salt in the food, but Vichal ate it without any complaint, saying "To inn prend lapenn to inn cuit, asterr ki mo pou dirr. Pa ferr nanyé monn manz li."

For Vichal, love is trust and faith in each other. He feels that the privilege of being able to trust your partner makes a relationship different. Vichal's sister-in-law tells him that his story is like that of Ram and Sita; he got separated from her as a penance in order to appreciate her more when he got her back.

Reena loves Vichal because he showed her how to be loved and how to love. She cannot stay angry with him for long; she only has to look at him, and she can't help but smile. That's one of the many things that Vichal loves about Reena; she forgives easily and does not take anything to heart.

Reena and Vichal are finally getting married on May 5th, 2023, with the blessings of their families.